Path Through Fire
by Mariko Midori
Summary: A group of people supposedly wants to avenge the Saitō clan. What does this have to do with Hanbei? Can Kanbei help him in time? FINALLY UPDATED!
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1

The small village of Mino was bustling with energy. Merchants were selling their products while people made their way to the markets and businesses.  
A short, slightly pudgy man made his way to a restraunt and sat down. He waited a short time later as two other men joined him. They sat in silence as a waitress placed food on the tabel and ate. After a while, someone spoke.

"Did you get any new information?" one asked.

"I heard he now serves Toyotomi Hideyoshi," another short, slightly pudgy man replied.

"My informant said the Toyotomi is on their way to face the Shimazu," the thrid man reported. "They should be there in five days."

The first man ran a hand down his beard in thought. Then he smiled. "Boys, we are going to join the army."

* * *

Rays of sunshine shone through the flimsy tent fabric. A small body stirred and opened his eyes. He sat up, stretched, grabbed his favorite hat and left the tent. He look up at the sky.

"Ah, what a beautiful day," he said. "Too bad it will be ending with bloodshed."

"Lord Hanbei," a soldier called. "Your presence is requested."

Inwardly groaning, Takenaka Hanbei followed the soldier to where his fellow strategist Kuroda Kanbei and Toyotomi Hideyoshi were waiting.

"You're late," Kanbei rumbled.

"Don't worry about that Kanbei," Hideyoshi chided. "What we need to focus on now is how to stop the Shimazu." He laid out a map of the area. "The circles represent us and the rectangles are the enemies. If we raid the camps, it should drage Yoshihiro out."

Hanbei thought for a moment. "Raiding the camps does sound like a good idea, but I think we should take them over and use them for reinforcements. What do you think Kanbei?"

The taller simply nodded. "Sounds logical to me."

"Then its settled," Hideyoshi declared. "We attack in three hours."

* * *

In Hanbei's opinion, those three hours went by far too fast. He found himself with his weapon in one hand and a sticky rice cake in the other. Kanbei watched him disapprovingly as he headed to his position. How was it that Hanbei was older by two years yet still he acts like a child? he dismissed the thought with the shake of his head. Hideyoshi waited for people to get ready, raised his hand and threw it down. Soldiers let out battle cries as they charged the field. Hanbei headed to the closest camp to him, cutting down any soldiers who stood in his way.

"This is war. No hard feelings, right?"

As he completed his task, the air around him suddenly changed. Suspision and paranoia swarmed his mind, making him feel dizzy. The strategist snapped out of it when an arrow sunk in his shoulder. He pulled it out and barely dodged another. A hand snaked around his throat and hoisted him up. Hanbei yelped, dropped his weapon, and struggled to get free.

"Let me go!" he yelled as much as he could.

The hand tightened, making it almost impossible to breathe.

"You better watch your back Takenaka Hanbei," a deep voice breathed in his ear. "Consider this your only warning."

With that being said, the mystery person squeezed one more time, then released and walked away. Hanbei laid on the ground desparately trying to regain his lost air. The pain in his shoulder flared up each time he took a breath. he was vaguely aware of someone approaching him. He looked up with his hazy vision.

"Kanbei?" he rasped.

"Are you alright?" Kanbei asked.

"Other than getting hit with an arrow and being strangled, just peachy."

A small smile spread across the younger's face. Typical Hanbei.

"Hey Kanbei, mind helping me up?"

Moments later, Hanbei was on his feet leaning heavily on the other. Knowing his friend will collapse on the way back, Kanbei forced his friend to climb on his back and they set off. When they reached the camp, their army was victorious.

* * *

**A/N: I am invading the SW category! *insert evil laugh* I felt like posting this right before finals! Plz R&R!**

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	2. Chapter 2

Ch. 2

Two weeks passed since the battle. Hanbei stared up at the sky from his spot on the roof. he kept thinking back to the warning he was given.

_What did that guy mean?_ he thought. _ Surely whatever he was referring to should have happened by now._

Out of nowhere, Nene suddenly appeared.

"Hiya Hanbei," she chirped.

"Huh? Oh, hi Nene. What are you doing up here?" he asked.

Nene plopped herself next to him and shrugged. "I wanted to see what you were up to," she replied. "How's your shoulder?"

"Fine, but sore. What is the real reason you're up here?"

Nene sighed in defeat, knowing she was caught. She was about to respond when Maeda Toshiie caled to them. "Lady Nene, Lord Hanbei. Our guests have arrived."

"Okay! We'll be down in a little bit!" Nene gave Hanbei a look before hopping off the roof. Hanbei glanced at the sky one last time before doing the same.

* * *

"When should we attack?"

"Patience, dear brother. We have to wait for the moon to come up before we can do anything."

The first man pouted a little. They only had to wait for a few hours.

* * *

Hanbei was exhausted. He had spent the day in war councils, sparring with Kanbei and meeting the new guests: Ishida Mitsunari, Sanada Yukimura and Naoe Kanetsugu. Hanbei found them very interesting, though Mitsunari came across as a jerk. The poor strategist didn't even have time to soak in the hot spring! He was about to craw under the covers of his futon when sudden movement outside his door caught his eye. Curiosity getting the best of him, Hanbei snuck out but not before grabbing Pole Star. He crept carefully down the stairs and out onto the main ground.

_Weird. I know there is something or someone around here,_ he thought.

Suddenly, cold metal touched his throat. "One wrong move and you die," a raspy voice sneered.

"Judging by your tone, I don't think you are serious about your threat," Hanbei commented.

He spun around and hit his attacker with the blunt edge of his sundial. The man didn't budge. He grabbed Hanbei's arm and twisted it painfully behind him, elicting a yelp from the shorter male causing him to drop his weapon. Hanbei squirmed and wriggled in a failed attempt to get free.

"Let me go," he hissed.

"You have some nerve, boy" the man retorted, gripping the arm tighter.

Suddenly, in a blur of motion, the strategist stood in front of his 'kidnapper', weapon in hand and a satisfied smirk on his face. "How was that for strategy?"

The man stared dumbfounded with his mouth hanging wide open. Tree leaves rustled as harsh wind blew through. Several shinobi surrounded the short male, weapons ready. Hanbei prepared himself.

"This should be interesting."

* * *

Kanetsugu could not get to sleep. He kept hearing loud noises outside and it was bugging him. Then he heard a painfilled cry.

"So it isn't a sparring match," he mumbled, grabbing his Ogre Slicer. Kanetsugu slammed his door open and ran out, only to stop in his tracks. Before him stood a bulky strongarm with two foot soldiers on either side. The foot soldiers were highly skilled, but the strongarm proved to be a challenge. It only took about ten hits for Kanetsugu to lose his weapon. He was then grabbed by his collar and tossed out in the courtyard, landing painfully on the ground. Ignoring the pain in his side, Kanetsugu pushed himself up and surveyed the damage around him. The castle was sightly damaged, but the once beautiful flowers were destroyed. Much to his relief and surprise, there was hardly any blood spilled minus a few drops here and there. He then spotted a certain small white-clad male, whom he had just met, surrounded by shinobi. Grabbing the closest weapon, Kanetsugu dashed over to the circle.

"Hanbei!"

Hanbei stole a quick glance beforeflinging his sundial around, wiping out the enemy.

"Ah, Kanetsugu. Nice of you to stop by," he said casually whie stretching.

"Are you alright?" Kanetsugu asked.

His eyes scanned the shorter male's body, taking note of the numerous visible cuts on his face, arms and legs. Hanbei nodded and yawned. A large shadow towered over him. Kanetsugu's eyes widened.

"Hanbei, behind you!"

Just as those words escaped his lips, a dagger impaled the Righteous Trio member just below his heart. Hanbei opened his mouth only for it to be covered by a sickly sweet scented cloth. He wriggled and squrimed, but the hand holding the cloth kept it firmly in place. His struggles slowly got weaker and his vision blurred. The last thing he remembered was seeing Kanetsugu's limp body on the ground with blood pooling around him.

* * *

**A/N: I'm baaaaack! I'm finally updating a story! As for the others, they will be updated soon. I barely had time to get this one done. Tell me what you think~ **

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	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3

When Kanbei awoke, he instantly knew something was wrong. He got dressed and left his room. As he walked along the castle grounds, he noticed that the courtyard was a disaster. Plant and tree debris were everywhere. The stone statues were cracked, chipped or broken. Mitsunari came up beside him completely shocked.

"What the hell happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," Kanbei replied. "I just got here myself."

Mitsunari's eyes surveyed the damage then widened suddenly. A large pool of blood leaked out behind a statue. The redhead cautiously walked over to the source of the blood only to rush over and drop to his knees, trembling. Kanbei sauntered behind Mitsunari and barked orders to a nearby maid. By now everyone else were outside examining the courtyard. Yukimura raced to Mitsunari's side and helped him carry Kanetsugu away. Blood was still dripping from the wound on his chest. Kunoichi was looking over a dagger with a bloodied tip, her face unusually grim. Nene was watching everyone when she realized someone was missing.

"Have anyone seen Hanbei?" she called. "Anyone?"

"I'll go see if he's still in his room." Hideyoshi offered.

His wife smiled as he left. Then something caught her eye. She strolled over to the object and instantly recognized it. It was a red bladed sundial called Pole Star. _This is Hanbei's weapon, but what's it doing here?_ she thought. Hideyoshi appeared at her side a short time later.

"Hanbei wasn't in his room," he reported. "What did you find Nene?"

Nene held out the sundial as she stared up at her husband. "You don't think something happened to him, do you?" Fear and worry was evident in her voice.

Hideyoshi placed a hand on her shoulder and sighed. "I don't know, Nene. I don't know."

* * *

Kanbei continued his stroll around the courtyard as his mind filled with questions. As he pondered his thoughts, a flash of white and gold interrupted him. The source of that interruption was a white and gold hat handing on a surviving bush. There is only one person Kanbei knew who owns it and never leaves it behind. Kanbei took the hat off, examined it, and headed back in the direction he came from.

* * *

Later that night Hideyoshi called an emergency meeting. Everyone was attending except Kanetsugu.

"As you all know we are facing a horrid problem," he stated. "Yukimura, Mitsunari. Do you have any word on Lord Kanetsugu's condition?"

"Lord Kanetsugu is currently unconscious but stable," Mitsunari reported. "He lost a lot of blood and had poison in his body."

"How was he poisoned?" Nene asked with worry filled eyes.

"According to Kunoichi, the dagger he was stabbed with had a small amount of poison on the tip which should have killed him," Yukimura ended bluntly.

Silence fell across the room as everyone absorbed the new information. Hideyoshi took a deep breath. "What about Hanbei?"

"No one has seen him since last night," Kanbei stated. "We have reason to believe Hanbei was a kidnapping target to get back at you, Lord Hideyoshi."

The daimyo blinked. "If that was true then why didn't we hear the battle while Kanetsugu did?" he pointed out.

When no one responded, Hideyoshi suddenly clapped his hands. "Well, I'd say we made excellent progress today," he declared. "Now we should rest up. Our search for Hanbei will commence in the morning!"

* * *

**Heya peeps! I'm back! Sorry for the long wait. I graduated high school and life got in the way, then I had no internet at my house. It sucked. Glad to be back updating! My other stories will get updated soon, very soon. Plz R&R!**

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